This movie is far above average, in no small part due to the performances of the principals. It is not a big movie, but as lesser movies go is a fantastic ride. You might forget it by tomorrow, but the memory of what a great job everyone did in it will linger in your mind. But for a few cosmetic errors it might have been a classic.
Quaid doesn't really seem to be on his way to impressing in the beginning; Lange is stunning as always; we don't really know what to make of Hutton; and Goodman comes across immediately as that loose cannon on deck he was to play so well in The Great Lebowsky, albeit with more irony.
As time goes on these characters gain a third dimension and the actors behind them show their quality. Lange shines brighter and brighter, Hutton surprises as well, and what really amazes is how Mr. Meg Ryan can act! All of which points to there being a good director behind it all. That it is Taylor Hackford comes therefore as no surprise. Hats off to a great collaboration between the screen writers and the cast as well. How they made certain hard-to-play scenes work is magnificent.
Towards the end you begin to see what this movie is all about. Ebert says we never know if the movie is about Gavin or Babs. What a dumb comment from such a seasoned movie lover. No movie need be about one person, and this one is about a whole slew of people if anything, and ultimately is not about people at all. As the Russian choreographer was to have said, "Honey, if I could tell you that I wouldn't have had to write the ballet!"
Aside from the ending which seems a bit contrived ("we gotta end this thing!"), there are no cheap shots in this movie. If this had been a made-for-TV flick it would have been very bad. But it was not. Everyone both in front and behind the cameras gave their all to make a great movie.
Quaid doesn't really seem to be on his way to impressing in the beginning; Lange is stunning as always; we don't really know what to make of Hutton; and Goodman comes across immediately as that loose cannon on deck he was to play so well in The Great Lebowsky, albeit with more irony.
As time goes on these characters gain a third dimension and the actors behind them show their quality. Lange shines brighter and brighter, Hutton surprises as well, and what really amazes is how Mr. Meg Ryan can act! All of which points to there being a good director behind it all. That it is Taylor Hackford comes therefore as no surprise. Hats off to a great collaboration between the screen writers and the cast as well. How they made certain hard-to-play scenes work is magnificent.
Towards the end you begin to see what this movie is all about. Ebert says we never know if the movie is about Gavin or Babs. What a dumb comment from such a seasoned movie lover. No movie need be about one person, and this one is about a whole slew of people if anything, and ultimately is not about people at all. As the Russian choreographer was to have said, "Honey, if I could tell you that I wouldn't have had to write the ballet!"
Aside from the ending which seems a bit contrived ("we gotta end this thing!"), there are no cheap shots in this movie. If this had been a made-for-TV flick it would have been very bad. But it was not. Everyone both in front and behind the cameras gave their all to make a great movie.